The 10 Best Couponing Apps

Couponing seems like a great idea. After all, who wouldn't want to save money when they shop, dine out, or enjoy activities in their area? However, tales of extreme couponing can scare many people. Most of us don't have the time and energy it takes to cut out, organize, and actually use coupons.

Fortunately, there are a number of great apps that can help you find the best coupons and deals in your area, and we've rounded them up below.

1. The Coupons App

The Coupons App is a popular download for retail savings. The app offers coupons and deals, updated daily. You can find discounts on everything from food to gas, at all your favorite restaurants and popular retail stores. You can also search directly for deals from your favorite store, or you can scan a barcode and search for deals on that particular product using the built-in barcode reader.

Along with providing coupons to your favorite restaurants and stores, the app can also help you find the most affordable gas in your area. Most reviewers find that this is an important part of their everyday life, and agree that if there's only one coupon app to download, this is the one.

2. SnipSnap

SnipSnap claims to have the largest collection of store coupons of any app. It is the first app to scan, save, and redeem print coupons from your mobile phone. SnipSnap is perfect for anyone who receives a lot of physical coupons because it can help you keep track of your paper coupons. You simply save any printed coupon to your phone and show the cashier your phone at checkout to take advantage of the savings.

The large database of coupons also holds tens of thousands of deals for all your favorite stores. The app will even remind you to use the coupons and warn you as the expiration dates approach. You can also keep track of how much money you've saved with the savings tracker.

3. Coupons.com

Coupons.com offers some of the best deals on groceries and everyday items. It also makes it easy to access deals on the go. You can choose to have coupons emailed to you, added to your store loyalty card or Passbook app to scan at checkout, or you can print them from your mobile device.

4. Grocery IQ

Also from Coupons.com, Grocery IQ specializes in grocery coupons. Once you create your supermarket list, the app will match items with applicable coupons. You will have access to the same impressive inventory of coupons from the Coupons.com app, so you can receive your discounts through e-mail, by printing them, or by scanning them to your store loyalty card or Passbook app.

5. SavingStar

SavingStar works differently than other coupon apps. Rather than enjoying discounts every time you shop, the money you save will add up in your SavingStar account. Once you hit $5 in savings, you can choose to have the money deposited to your bank, deposited to your PayPal account, in the form of a gift card, or you can have it donated to the Conservation Group of American Forests. This means that every time you shop online, in-store, and for groceries, you can earn cash back at the same time. There are typically about 30 deals available at any given time.

6. RetailMeNot

RetailMeNot offers the very best location-based deals. With deals from more than 50,000 retailers available, you'll find an incredible assortment of coupons and promo codes for anything you may be shopping for, both online and in-store. You can quickly find the right deals by location, category, popularity, and more. You can even save a list of your favorite establishments to create personalized offers.

7. Groupon

Groupon searches your local area for the best deals. Whether you are new in town or want to get to know your neighborhood better, this is a great app to help you get more from the area, without breaking your budget. You can quickly buy and redeem vouchers on your phone to take advantage of massive discounts, oftentimes up to 90% savings.

8. Amazon Local

Amazon Local helps you find the best local deals online. Whether you are looking for a spa, need to hire moving services, or just want to enjoy a night out, this app can help you find the deals you are looking for. Along with deals from your favorite service providers, restaurants, and retail stores, you can also find the latest local and travel deals and free coupons. You can even view your appointments and reservations all within the app.

9. CardStar

CardStar is unique because it offers a simple way to increase your savings. It works by consolidating your membership and rewards cards into a single app. This means you don't need to worry about carrying your loyalty cards around in your wallet or on a keychain any longer. Once you instantly load your cards, you can simply scan the barcode at your favorite store to take advantage of your loyalty cards and access deals and coupons from your favorite merchants. The app works with 1,500 retailers, so you can easily find all of your store loyalty cards, or even add new ones yourself. Using this in combination with your other couponing apps can save you even more.

10. Ibotta

Ibotta offers big cash back opportunities every time you shop. The offers change weekly, and if you buy the select items, you simply upload your grocery receipt and receive cash in return. Once you reach the threshold amount, you can receive a transfer to your PayPal or Venmo account, or you can select from a number of gift cards. Earn real cash and rewards, not just points.

What are your favorite apps for coupons? Do you have any other ways of saving money when you shop? Please share your thoughts in the comments!

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Guest #1

I'm not a fan of Retailmenot.com. They have a lot of coupon fraud. Savingstar is cool. I'm going to have to have coupons.com app a try.

Any of the apps like Ibotta that require you to upload photographs of your entire receipt to get a rebate on 1 or 2 items are totally ridiculous. Who has the time to take 10 or more photos, trying to line them up correctly and not miss anything? They should allow uploading the store's info, the item(s) to be rebated, and the totals at the bottom. I don't use them for that reason. Alternately, they should coordinate with stores like Shoprite and Acme that offer digital receipts.

I have given up on Ibotta, you have to watch videos for some items to unlock them. I have tried over and over to do so and my phone would freeze. I deleted it and added it again and still would do the same thing. Savingstar doesn't make you jump through oops to unlock items and I have made more money through them even though they have less items than Ibotta.

I love the Ibotta app. The company partners with certain stores' rewards clubs. If that's the case, you just register your card number and Ibotta knows what you bought. No receipts to photograph or barcodes to scan. It's very quick.

Our favorites are coupons.com, cartwheel and Ibotta. Plus it is not necessarily an app to give you money back from shopping but WE love the CVS APP!! You can sign up for beauty rewards and track your coupons and spending on easy friendly app. Plus, the other day for some reason the cashier had a hard time understanding my phone number and I just pulled out my phone and in the CVS App it stores your card for you. Simple!